Bottle-labeling machine.



M. E. NOYES.

BOTTLE LABELING MAGHINE.

IAIPLIUATION FILED MAY18,1905.

Patented Mar. 15,- 1910.

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M. E. NOYES.

BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 18,1905.

Patented Mar.15, 1910.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY18,1905.

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Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

' M. E. NOYES.

BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18,1905.

951,837. f Patented Mar.15,1910.

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' APPLICATION FILED MAY 18,1905:

Patented Mar.15,1910.

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MAYHEW E. NOYES, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM IE.PINKHAM, OF WOLFBORO, NEW ,HAMPSI-IIRE.

BOTTLE-LABELING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAYHEW E. Norris, of Hyde Park, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in BottleLabeling Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to bottle-labeling machines and has.for itsobject to provide means for pasting labels and for placing them andwiping them upon bottles of any shape or size suitably held in position.

The principal features of the invention are the label-carrier and thewipers. The label carrier applies the paste to the edges of a label andcarries it by reason of the adhesion of the paste to a predeterminedposition on the bottle. The wipers are each composed of a plurality offlexible wiping fingers which when moved past the bottle press the labelthereagainst and Wipe from the central portion thereof toward both sidessimultaneously. The wipers are hinged and provided with means forholding them open during their return movement and means for holdingthem closed during the working stroke.

On the drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a sideelevation of a labeling machine constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is avertical sect-ion of the upper parts in a different position. Fig. 4 isa horizontal section on the line k4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveView of the wiper and carrier mechanisms. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation ofone of the wipers in closed position. Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive show thebottle-holder adjusted for bottles of various shapes. Fig. 13 is aperspective view of the baseplate of the bottle-holder. Fig. 1 1 is adetail of the paste-roll driving pinion.

The various elements and actuating mechanisms therefor are installedupon a base 10 upon which is supported a bed 11, an arch 12, and a horn13 overhanging the bed.

The bottle A to be labeled is supported upon a plate 14 aflixed to thetop of a vertically adjustable post 15, extending through the bed 11 andheld by a set-screw 1G.

17 is a bracket having a tongue 18 which its in a groove 19in the plate1 1. Said bracket serves as a backer for the bottle and Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed May 18, 1905.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910. Serial No. 260,944.

is adjustably clamped to the plate 141 by a set-screw 20.

21 21 are guide-fingers pivoted upon the plate 141 and adapted to beengaged and held at any desired angle by the bracket 17 when the latteris clamped by the screw 20. Said guides serve to position the bottle andhold it against lateral movement 011 the plate 11.

The labels w are supported upon a labelholder comprising twoindependently movable supports 22 which fit in a dovetailed groove 23extending laterally across the bed 11. Each of said supports has a fixedbar 24; upon which are adjustably mounted three upright guides 25 25 26which may be slid to any position on the bar and held by setscrews 27. Aguide 28 corresponding to the guide 26 is affixed to the forward end ofeach support 22. A pile of labels to be used is placed, faces down, sothat their side edges rest upon the supports 22. Said supports are sospaced that the inner faces of the guides 25 touch but do not bindagainst the side edges of the labels, and the guides 26 are positionedon the bars 24. so that the top and bottom edges of the labels aretouched but not cramped by the guides 26 and 28 respectively.

The wipers, indicated at 30, are identical except that one is right-handand the other left-hand. A description of one, however, will serve forboth. The wiper portion which is adapted to engage the label and pressit upon the bottle, is composed of tough flexible material, preferablyrubber. Said portion is clamped in a bracket 31 which is afiixed to arod 33 and thereby hinged in a yoke 32. A spring 34: coiled about therod 33 and engaging the yoke 32 and the bracket 31 exerts its pressureto swing the wiper backward. An arm 35 having an upright pin 36 aflixedthereto is secured to the upper end of the rod 33, above the yoke 32,for the purpose of swinging the wiper forward, as herein explained. Theupper portion of the yoke 32 is made large enough to provide a socket 37for a vertical latch-pin 38. Said pin has a horizontal extension 39 andis adapted to drop by gravity behind the top of the bracket 31 when thewiper is swung forward, as hereinafter explained, and so hold it againstthe pressure of the spring 34c.

10 is a stud extending into the yoke 82 and having a finger 41 affixedto its inner end and an arm a2 affixed to its outer end. The free end ofthe finger -l-1 extends under the ex tension 39 of the pin 38, and whenthe stud a0 is rocked by movement of the arm 42, as herein explained,the finger 4E1 lifts the pin 38, thereby releasing the wiper andallowing it to swing backward by reason of the pressure of the spring34.

The yokes 32 have slotted extensions 29 by which they are adj ustablyclamped to supports or cross-heads. 43 mounted in longitudinal extendedguides in brackets 1 1 se cured upon the bed 11. Said cross-heads areprovided with overhanging anti friction rolls which occupy radial slots416 in the free ends of arms 47 extending through openings in the bed 11and secured upon a rock-shaft 18 mounted in suitable bearings on thebase 10. The shaft a3 also carries an arm 19 between the arms 47, at theend of which is a trundle-roll 51 in operative engagement with a cam 52keyed upon the power shaft mounted in hearings in the base 10. As theshaft +18 is oscillated by the cam 52, the arms 41-7 reciprocate thecrossheads 43,0arrying the wipers. As previously stated, the wipers arenormally held open or back by the springs 3st so that when thecross-heads are moved rearward or toward the arch 12, the wipers do nottouch the bottle, (see Figs. 1 and As the cross-heads approach theirrearward limit of movement, the pins 36 011 the arms 35 engage a rod 53mounted in the forward end of the horn 13 and extending therefrom towardboth sides of the machine. Continued movement of the crossheads afterthe movement of the pins 36 is arrested by the rod swings the wiperstoward each other allowing the pins 38 to drop behind the brackets 31,as hereinbefore explained, and so hold the wipers in their operativeposition, as shown in Figs. 3, a and 5. Upon the subsequent forwardmovement of the wipers, they engage the bottle and yield sutliciently topass by it, wiping over the side edges of the bottle in doing so. Itwill be noticed that the operative edge of each wiper is incised atintervals producing a plurality of independent yielding portions. Byreason of so cutting the wipers some of the portions are adapted toenter dished sur faces with which some bottles are formed. In any case,however, the several portions of the wiping edges conform to anyirregularity in the surface of the bottle.

The labels are pasted and transferred from the pile on the label-holderto the bottle by means of a label-carrier. Said carrier comprises aslide 5 f mounted in vertically extended guides 65 secured to the bed11, and upon the top of which is a head 55 in which is journaled arock-shaft 56. Said rock-shaft carries two adjustable carrierarms 57secured thereto by set-screws 53, and two rock-arms 59 and 60, one ateach end, outside the head The arms 59 and 60 are atlixed to the shaft56 at an angle of approximately ninety degrees relatively to each other,for a purpose hereinafter explained. The slide Set is adapted to drop bygravity and to be raised by an arm 61 pivoted to the base 10 by a stud62 and carrying a trundle-roll 63 which rests upon a -am Get keyed uponthe shaft 50. The free end of the arm (31 extends between the guides 65and through aslot 66 in the slide 5 1. A roll (57 carried by the sliderests upon the arm 61 and so supports the slide. When the slide is downas in Figs. 3, a and 5, the carrier arms extend toward the rear, andwhen correctly set to conform to the width of the labels, they extendbetween the upright label guides 26 28 and 25 25 and rest upon the sideedges of the uppermost label. A pin 68 on the arm 60 engages the edge ofan upright plate 69 aflixed to the bed 11, preventing the shaft 56 fromrocking and so supporting the slide 54: whose weight is sustained by thepile of labels. Upon upward movement of the arm 61 the slide 54 israised, and the arm 60 being prevented by the plate 69 and a pin 70 fromrocking, causes the carrier arms 57 to be raised bodily therewith. Thecarrier-arms having been previously coated with paste, as hereinafterdescribed, carry with them the label upon which they rested. As theslide 5 1 continues to rise, the pin 68 on the arm (30 escapes past theedge of the plate 69, and a roll 71 on the arm 59 engages a fixed cam 72secured upon the bed 11. Said cam arrests the upward movement of theroll 71 and swings it toward the rear into a vertical plane with theshaft 56. This movementcauses the carrier arms 57 to swing upward to avertical position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, placing the label close tothe bottle.

73 is a stripper mounted in the end of the horn 13 and fulcrumed uponthe rod. 53. The upper end of said stripper is connected by a connectingrod Tat to one arm of a bellcrank lever 75 fulcrumed upon a stud 76above the arch 12. The other arm of the lever 75 is connected by aconnecting rod 77 to one end of a lever 78 fulcrumed upon a stud 7 9 onthe base 10. The other end of the lever 78 carries a trundle-roll 80which cooperates with a cam 81 on the shaft 50 and when actuated therebycauses the stripper T3 to swing from a rearward position to the positionindicated by full lines see Fig. 3. The stripper is provided with arubber pad or sleeve 82 which engages the label between the carrier armsand spanks it against the bottle, remaining in that position until thelabel is wiped upon the bottle. The carrier is allowed to descend assoon as the stripper clamps the label against the bottle. In descending,the carrier arms first swing rearward and downward, brushing past theedges of the recently placed label, and are given a fresh coat of paste,as will be explained.

83 is a reciprocating carriage mounted in horizontal guides 84 on thesides of the arch 12. Said carriage is reciprocated from front to rearby an arm 85 pivoted upon a stud 86 on the base and having a roll 87cooperating with a cam 88 on the shaft 50. A paste-pan 89 is secured tothe forward end of the carriage, and is provided with a pasteroll 90which is journaled in the pan, and two idle rolls 91 and 92 journaledoutside the pan, but all in rolling contact. The shaft 93 of the roll 91has on one end a pinion 94 which intermeshes with a rack 95 secured tothe arch 12. Said pinion is loose on the shaft 93 and held thereon by anut and washer. The pinion contains a roller clutch comprising pockets96 in which are rollers 97 which grip the shaft when the pinion rotatesin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 14. A pinion 98 afiixed to theother end of the shaft 93 intermeshes with and drives pinions 99 aflixedto the rolls 90 and 92, thus causing the paste in the pan to betransferred to the roll 92. \Vhen the label carrier raises a label tothe bottle the carriage 83 is moved forward to the position shown inFig. 1. Then, when the carrierarms 57 start to rock toward the rear anddescend they engage the surface of the roll 92 and force it toward therear, the cam 88 which moves the carriage forward, being formed topermit rearward movement of the carriage at this point. As the carriageis moved toward the rear by the carrier-arms, the pinion 94: is rotatedin the direction of the arrow, by the rack 95 and the paste-rolls areall rotated thereby, causing the roll 92 to wipe fresh paste along theentire label engaging face of each carrier arm. WVhen the carrier armsreach a horizontal position, they are prevented from rocking further bythe arms 59 and 60 already described, and the carrier descends bodilyuntil the arms 57 once more rest upon the pile of labels. Any furtherdownward motion of the arm 61, after the carrier engages the pile oflabels, is lost by reason of the slot 66 in the slide 54. The slide,however, descends to a greater extent each time as the pile of labelsdecreases, and so compensates by gravity for the variation in the pile.

100 are rods whose forward ends are pivoted to the free ends of thefingers 42 and whose rear ends extend through bosses 101 on the arch 12.Said rods slide back and forth through the bosses 101 when the wipersare reciprocated, but they have stop-nuts 102 which impinge against saidbosses and arrest the forward movement of the rods. This causes the rodsto rock the fingers 42, the studs 40 and the fingers 41, thereby liftingthe locking pins 38 at the completion of the operative stroke of thewipers, and allowing the wipers to swing back as previously described,out of the way, to be reset by the rod 53 held in the horn 13.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a device attached to the bottle-support for smallbottles. Said device comprises a plate 103 having an aperture 104 forthe reception of the upstanding portion of the bracket 17. 105 is aprotuberance on the plate which fits into a vertical groove 106 in theouter face of said upstanding portion for the purpose of maintaining acorrect position of said plate. 107 is a set-screw threaded into saidplate and adapted to abut against the opposite face of said upstandingportion and so clamp the plate to said portion at any desired height.The plate is also provided with guide-fingers 108 for holding a bottleplaced thereon against undue lateral movement. Said fingers are pivotedon studs 109 upon the upper surface of said plate and have bell-crankextensions 110 which extend toward each other. 111 is a thumb-screwthreaded into said plate between said fingers, and having collars 112112 between which said extensions 110 project from opposite sides. Byreason of this construction the free ends of the fingers 108 may bemoved toward or from each other simultaneously, by movement of thetllllll'lb-SCIGW, to provide more or less space therebetween, accordingto the width of the bottle.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art to which this invention relates that the machine which I haveillustrated as the best embodiment of the invention now known to mepossesses numerous features of advantage which I may briefly mention.First, the bottle support is so located that in placing a label aroundthe body of the bottle the latter is in an upright position in which itmay be placed with the greatest ease on the part of the operator, andfrom which it may be as easily removed. The label carrier and the labelwipers are independent and they are both adjustable to adapt them foroperation in connection with bottles and cans of cylindrical orpolygonal form and of different diameters. The label carriers arenormally recumbent and rest upon the top label of the pile automaticallyadjusting themselves in accordance with the height of the pile. Theyrock from a substantially horizontal position to a substantiallyvertical position and at the same time are raised bodily more or less inaccordance with the height of the pile to bring a label into properposition with relation to a bottle on the support. In addition to this,however. the bottle support is itself adjustable vertically to properlylocate the bottle with relation to the carriers. In addition, moreover,the adjustable guides forming a part of the label box or receptaclepermit of the tlCljUStlIlOllt of the labels relatively to the carrier sothat ditferent labels may be caused to adhere to the carrier atdifferent radial distances from its axes so that said labels may be afiixed to the bottle at any points between the ends thereof. This I regardas quite an important feature in the practical use of the machine, sinceit permits the placing of a label around the small neck of a bottle withas great ease and facility as around the body portion or the lower endof the bottle. The paste tank or pan is located normally in a rearwardposition and is brought automatically to a location where thedistributing roll may be engaged by the under face of the label-carrier.I utilize this sliding movement of the paste tank by employing means fortransmitting the sliding motion of the pan into a positive rotation ofthe transferring or distributing rolls so that the paste may bepositively wiped onto the label-carrier instead of merely bringing thedistributing roll into rolling contact with said carrier.

I desire to point out the fact that the label wipers have a novel andpeculiar construction. Not only is each resilient wiper divided toprovide a plurality of independent yielding fingers, but at the sametime these fingers are so curved as shown in Fig. l, as to provide endswhich will project into a recess in the face of the bottle. These wipersare automatically swung into inactive positions rearwardly after theyhave performed their functions, and as soon as they are released by themechanism hereinbefore described in detail. They occupy this positionduring the reversed movement of the carriage upon which they aremounted, and are again set into operative position as the carriagereaches the rearward limit of its movement.

The phraseology which I employ is for the purpose of description and notof limitation, and, moreover, it will be understood that the inventionis capable of various other embodiments than the one which I haveillustrated.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention, and described a wayof constructing and using the same, although without attempting to setforth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modes ofits use, I declare that what is claimed is:

1. A bottle-labeling machine comprising means for supporting a bottlestationarily in an upright position, means for presenting a label to theupright surface of such bottle, vertically hinged label wipers mountedon horizontally reciprocating slides adapted to carry said wipers pastsaid bottle and back again, and means for actuating said wipers to causethem to wipe the label on the bottle.

2. A bottle labeling machine comprising means for sta-tionarilysupporting a bottle in an upright position, a holder for labels arrangedhorizontally in a plane below said bottle, means for lifting and placingagainst the upright surface of a bottle so supported a label, yieldinghinged wipers mounted on supports adapted to reciprocate in a horizontalplane past said bottle and back again, means for pressing the elevatedlabel against the bottle, and means for actuating said wipers.

8. A bottle labeling machine comprising means for stationarilysupporting a bottle, means for lifting a label from a horizontal planebelow said bottle and presenting it vertically to said bottle, and meanshaving a rectilinear horizontal movement for wiping upon the bottle alabel so presented.

1. A bottle labeling machine comprising means for stationarilysupporting a bottle in an upright position, means for supporting aplurality of labels in a horizontal plane below the plane of the bottle,means for transferring a label so supported from a horizontal to avertical position to the upright surface of the bottle, consisting of avertically movable slide and a relatively movable label carrier mountedon said slide, vertically hinged wipers movable in a horizontal plane toand past the bottle and back again, and means for actuating the wipersto wipe the label on the bottle.

5. A bottle-labeling machine comprising means for supporting a bottle inan upright position, means for supporting a pile of labels eachextending horizontally, means for transferring a label so supported to aposition against the bottle and extending transversely of said firstposition, a stripper for holding the label as the transferring meansretire, wipers having a parallel horizontal movement for wiping thelabel upon the bottle, and means for actuating said wipers.

6. A bottle-labeling machine comprising means for sup sorting a bottle,means for supporting a pile of labels, a vertically movable swinginglabel carrier adapted to transfer an adhesive label from said pile tothe bottle, a longitudinally reciprocatory pastepan having a paste-rolladapted to be engaged by said carrier and moved by the same inapproaching the pile of labels to coat the label carrier with paste, andmeans independent of said carrier for rotating said paste-roll in onedirection only.

7. A bottle-labeling machine comprising means for supporting a bottle,means for supporting a pile of labels, a rectilinearly slidablepaste-pan having a train of pasterolls geared together, a verticallyswinging label carrier mounted upon and hinged. to a vertically movableslide and adapted to transfer an adhesive label from said pile to thebottle and to engage one of said rolls and to cause said paste-pan toslide back in a horizontal plane in approaching the labels, a gear-rackextending parallel to the path of movement of said paste-pan, and apinion on one of said rolls intermeshing with said rack and adapted torotate said rolls unidirectionally when moved by said label carrier tocoat the label carrier with paste.

8. A bottle-labeling machine comprising means for supporting a bottle,fixed means for supporting a pile of labels beneath the horizontal planeof the bottle, a label carrier mounted on a slide movable in rectilinearguides and adapted to descend loosely upon the pile of labels as thepile diminishes by gravity, and means for raising said carrier from saidpile of labels to the bottle.

9. A bottle-labeling machine comprising a bottle support, means forpasting and presenting a label to the bottle in position to be wipedthereon, and vertically hinged wipers mounted on reciprocatory supportsslidable in planes intersecting the bottle to wipe said label thereon,each of said wipers composed of vertically arranged independentlyyielding sections of flexible material and having curved edgessubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1,0. A bottle-labeling machine comprising means for supporting a bottlein an upright position, means for supporting a pile of labels beneaththe horizontal plane of the bottle, a label-carrier pivotally mountedupon a vertically movable sliding member, means adapted to raise saidslide toward the bottle and to permit it to descend by gravity, andmeans for swinging said label car rier to extend horizontally across thepile of labels when lowered and to swing said carrier to extendvertically when said slide is raised.

11. A bottle-labeling machine comprising means for supporting a bottlein an upright position, means for supporting a pile of labels beneaththe horizontal plane of the bottle, means adapted to compensate forvariation in the height of the pile of labels for engaging andtransferring, when suitably coated with adhesive paste, a label from thepile to the upright surface of the bottle, means for coating saidtransferring means with paste previous to its contact with the label,and horizontally movable wipers each comprising a plurality ofindependently flexible portions adapted to wipe a label over irregularsurfaces of the bottle.

12. A bottle-labeling machine comprising a pair of reciprocatorysupports mounted in horizontal rectilinear guides, a pair of wipershinged to said supports 'on vertical axes, means for supporting a bottlestationarily and in an upright position between said guides, springs fornormally swinging said wipers away from each other upon said verticalaxes, means for reciprocating said wiper supports, means for closingsaid wipers toward each other, means for looking said wipers in closedposition and means for releasing said wipers.

13. A bottle-labeling machine comprising a pair of reciprocatory wipersupports mounted in horizontal rectilinear guides, means forreciprocating said supports, means for supporting a bottle stationarilyand in an upright position between said guides, a pair of wipers hingedto said supports on vertical axes, means for normally swinging saidwipers together when moving in one direction, means for locking saidwipers when closed together, and means adapted to release said wiperswhen moving in the opposite direction.

14. The combination with a bottle-labeling machine, of a bottle-supportcomprising a horizontal base, a bracket adapted to be adjustably securedto said base and having a perpendicular portion extending upwardly fromone edge thereof, and a pair of fingers pivotally mounted upon verticalstuds 1n the upper surface of said base, and adapted to be clampedbetween said base and said bracket.

15. The combination with a bottle-labeling machine, of a bottle supportcomprising a base, a bracket adapted to be adjustably secured to saidbase, and having a vertical extension flush with one edge thereof, avertical groove in the outer face of said extension, a plate having anaperture for the reception of said extension, and a protuberance adaptedto enter said groove, means for securing said plate to said extension, apair of fingers pivotally mounted upon the upper surface of said plate011 vertical studs, and means adapted to adjust said fingerssimultaneously and to lock said fingers against undue movement.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

MAYI-IElV E. NOYES. Witnesses M. B. MAY, 0. C. STECHER.

